US8041252B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents
Image forming apparatus Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US8041252B2 US8041252B2 US12/138,790 US13879008A US8041252B2 US 8041252 B2 US8041252 B2 US 8041252B2 US 13879008 A US13879008 A US 13879008A US 8041252 B2 US8041252 B2 US 8041252B2
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- side frames
- screws
- mutually opposed
- opposed positions
- intermediate frame
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Fee Related, expires
Links
- 238000007599 discharging Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000000926 separation method Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000010438 heat treatment Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000003825 pressing Methods 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
- G03G—ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
- G03G21/00—Arrangements not provided for by groups G03G13/00 - G03G19/00, e.g. cleaning, elimination of residual charge
- G03G21/16—Mechanical means for facilitating the maintenance of the apparatus, e.g. modular arrangements
- G03G21/1604—Arrangement or disposition of the entire apparatus
- G03G21/1619—Frame structures
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
- G03G—ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
- G03G21/00—Arrangements not provided for by groups G03G13/00 - G03G19/00, e.g. cleaning, elimination of residual charge
- G03G21/16—Mechanical means for facilitating the maintenance of the apparatus, e.g. modular arrangements
- G03G21/1642—Mechanical means for facilitating the maintenance of the apparatus, e.g. modular arrangements for connecting the different parts of the apparatus
- G03G21/1647—Mechanical connection means
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
- G03G—ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
- G03G2221/00—Processes not provided for by group G03G2215/00, e.g. cleaning or residual charge elimination
- G03G2221/16—Mechanical means for facilitating the maintenance of the apparatus, e.g. modular arrangements and complete machine concepts
- G03G2221/1651—Mechanical means for facilitating the maintenance of the apparatus, e.g. modular arrangements and complete machine concepts for connecting the different parts
- G03G2221/1654—Locks and means for positioning or alignment
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
- G03G—ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
- G03G2221/00—Processes not provided for by group G03G2215/00, e.g. cleaning or residual charge elimination
- G03G2221/16—Mechanical means for facilitating the maintenance of the apparatus, e.g. modular arrangements and complete machine concepts
- G03G2221/1678—Frame structures
Definitions
- Apparatuses consistent with the present invention relate to an image forming apparatus and, more particularly, to an image forming apparatus having improved structural stability.
- a related art image forming apparatus is described in Japanese Patent Application Nos. JP-A-9-120187, JP-A-2002-169353, and JP-A-2002-214900.
- the related art image forming apparatus is provided with one pair of side frames opposed to each other, and an intermediate frame that axially supports various kinds of rollers and is disposed between the pair of side frames. Screws are fastened at corresponding positions to connect between one side frame and the intermediate frame and between the other side frame and the intermediate frame.
- a distance between the thread fastened position between one side frame and the intermediate frame and the thread fastened position between the other side frame and the intermediate frame, the thread fastened positions corresponding to each other, is the same in any case. That is, since the shape formed by joining the thread fastening positions is a square or rectangle, there is a problem in that the overall strength of the frame composed of one pair of side frames and the intermediate frame is weak.
- Exemplary embodiments of the present invention address the above disadvantages and other disadvantages not described above.
- the present invention is not required to overcome the disadvantages described above, and thus, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may not overcome any of the problems described above.
- an image forming apparatus comprises a plurality of side frames opposed to each other; an intermediate frame provided between the plurality of side frames; a plurality of first screws for connecting the side frames and the intermediate frame at first mutually opposed positions of the side frames; and a plurality of second screws for connecting the side frames and the intermediate frame at second mutually opposed positions of the side frames; wherein a distance between the first mutually opposed positions of the first screws is narrower than a distance between the second mutually opposed positions of the second screws.
- an image forming apparatus comprises two side frames opposed to each other; an intermediate frame provided between the two side frames; two first screws for connecting the side frames and the intermediate frame at first mutually opposed positions of the side frames; and two second screws for connecting the side frames and the intermediate frame at second mutually opposed positions of the side frames; wherein a distance between the first mutually opposed positions of the first screws is narrower than a distance between the second mutually opposed positions of the second screws.
- a printer comprising a first side frame comprising a first projection portion; a second side frame comprising a second projection portion, wherein the first side frame and the second side frame are arranged such that the first and second projection portions project towards each other; an intermediate frame; two first connectors which connect the intermediate frame to the first projection portion and second projection portion respectively; and two second connectors which connect the intermediate frame to the first side frame and the second side frame respectively.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an image forming apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 2 is a front view of a frame structure of the image forming apparatus of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the frame structure of the image forming apparatus of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 4 is a side view of a left side frame of the image forming apparatus of FIG. 1 as seen from the left;
- FIG. 5 is a side view of the left side frame of the image forming apparatus of FIG. 1 as seen from the right.
- FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing an image forming apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
- the image forming apparatus is embodied in the form of a printer 1 .
- the present inventive concept applies to any electronic apparatus that contains a frame that supports roller elements.
- the printer 1 comprises a main body case 2 comprising a feeder unit 4 for feeding a printing medium, in this case a paper 3 , and an image forming unit 5 for forming the image on the fed paper 3 in the main body case 2 .
- the feeder unit 4 comprises a storage cassette, in this case a sheet feed tray 6 , a sheet feed roller 8 , a separation roller 9 , and a registration roller 12 .
- the paper 3 on the top of the sheet feed tray 6 is fed by the feed roller 8 , and fed one by one with the rotation of the separation roller 9 .
- the fed paper 3 is registered by the registration roller 12 and fed to a transfer position.
- the image forming unit 5 comprises a scanner unit 16 , a process cartridge 17 and a fixing unit 18 .
- the scanner unit 16 has a laser emitting unit and a polygon mirror (not shown) A laser beam emitted from the laser emitting unit is deflected by the polygon mirror, and applied onto the surface of a photosensitive drum 27 .
- the process cartridge 17 has a developing unit, in this case a developing roller 31 , a photosensitive drum 27 , a scorotron type charger unit 29 and a transfer roller 30 .
- the charger unit 29 positively charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 27 uniformly. Thereafter, the surface of the photosensitive drum 27 is exposed by the laser beam from the scanner unit 16 so that an electrostatic latent image is formed thereon. Then, the toner carried on the surface of the developing roller 31 is supplied to the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 27 , so that the electrostatic latent image is developed.
- the fixing unit 18 thermally fixes the toner on the paper 3 while the paper 3 passes between a heating roller 41 and a pressing roller 42 . Thereafter, the paper 3 after thermal fixing is exhausted onto a sheet discharging tray 44 .
- FIG. 2 is a front view of a frame structure of the printer 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention as seen from the front (i.e., a front side of the paper is the front side of the printer 1 ), and FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the frame structure of the printer 1 (i.e., the upper side of the paper is the front side of the printer 1 ).
- the printer 1 has a structure in which an intermediate frame, in this case a paper feed frame 54 and a scanner unit 16 are sandwiched between a pair of side frames 50 , 52 disposed on the left and right side of the intermediate frame, respectively.
- FIG. 4 is a side view of a left side frame 50 as seen from the outside (left side)
- FIG. 5 is a side view of the left side frame 50 as seen from the inside (right side).
- Each of the side frames 50 , 52 has a box shape in which an outer surface directed to the outside of the printer 1 is opened, and an inner wall directed to the inside of the printer 1 has a convex portion 56 , 58 , respectively, swollen like a rectangle in its front portion. Also, a collar portion 60 , 62 is provided under the respective convex portion 56 , 58 (see FIG. 2 ).
- the paper feed frame 54 has a shape like a plate as a whole, and hollow in a portion corresponding to each convex portion 56 , 58 .
- the paper feed frame 54 has a smooth and uneven upper portion to guide the paper 3 smoothly.
- the paper feed frame 54 is secured to the convex portions 56 and 58 of the side frames 50 and 52 by a pair of first screws 64 and 66 , and secured to the back ends of the side frames 50 and 52 by a pair of second screws 68 and 70 , as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 .
- the thread fastening positions of the first screws 64 and 66 and the thread fastening positions of the second screws 68 and 70 have different heights, as shown in FIG. 2 .
- the thread fastening positions of the first screws 64 and 66 are located on a straight line along the lateral direction of the printer 1 . In other words, the thread fastening positions of the first screws 64 and 66 are located at the opposed positions, i.e., a pair of positions with the shortest distance, of the side frames 50 and 52 . Likewise, the thread fastening positions of the second screws 68 and 70 are located on a straight line along the lateral direction of the printer 1 . In other words, the thread fastening positions of the second screws 68 and 70 are located at the opposed positions, i.e., a pair of positions with the shortest distance, of the side frames 50 and 52 .
- the paper feed frame 54 is provided with the registration roller 12 (on the lower side) together with the separation roller 9 , as shown in FIG. 3 .
- This registration roller 12 comprises a pair of roller portions 12 A, 12 A arranged in the lateral direction, and a roller shaft 12 B, and is provided near the thread fastening positions of the first screws 64 and 66 in the hollow portions corresponding to the convex portions 56 and 58 .
- a bearing portion 80 is provided within the paper feed frame 54 to bear one end of the roller shaft 12 B.
- the other end of the roller shaft 12 B projects outward via a through hole 55 provided through a side wall of the paper feed frame 54 .
- the convex portion 56 of the left side frame 50 has an outwardly hollow portion 56 A, and a bearing portion 82 is provided in the hollow portion 56 A.
- the other end of the roller shaft 12 B, which projects through the through hole 55 is borne by the bearing portion 82 , and has a gear 84 for receiving a driving force from a drive motor M, not shown.
- a mechanism for transmitting the driving force from the drive motor M to the gear 84 is omitted.
- the scanner unit 16 is secured between the side frames 50 and 52 by a pair of third screws 72 and 74 and a pair of fourth screws 76 and 78 (see FIG. 2 ).
- the paper feed frame 54 is secured between the side frames 50 and 52 by the first screws 64 and 66 and the second screws 68 and 70 .
- the distance spacing D 1 between the thread fastening positions of the first screws 64 and 66 is shorter than the distance spacing D 2 between the thread fastening positions of the second screws 68 and 70 , as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 .
- a distance between positions where the first screws 64 and 66 connect the side frames 50 and 52 and the paper feed frame 54 is the distance spacing D 1 between first mutually opposed positions of the side frames 50 and 52 .
- a distance between positions where the second screws 68 and 70 connect the side frames 50 and 52 and the paper feed frame 54 is the distance spacing D 2 between second mutually opposed positions of the side frames 50 and 52 . That is, a shape formed by joining the first screws 64 and 66 and the second screws 68 and 70 is trapezoidal. Accordingly, the strength of the frame structure which comprises one pair of side frames 50 and 52 and the paper feed frame 54 can be greater than a case in which a shape formed by joining the thread fastening positions is square or rectangular.
- the side frames 50 and 52 could be firmly connected to the paper feed frame 54 by the first screws 64 and 66 and the second screws 68 and 70 such that there is substantially no clearance between the side frames 50 and 52 and the paper feed frame 54 .
- the sign “h 1 ” denotes a distance between the thread fastening positions of the first screws ( 64 , 66 ) and a bottom face of the printer 1 , in a direction perpendicular to the bottom face of the printer 1 .
- the sign “h 2 ” denotes a distance between the thread fastening positions of the second screws ( 68 , 70 ) and the bottom face of the printer 1 , in the direction perpendicular to the bottom face of the printer 1 .
- the distance h 1 is larger than the distance h 2 .
- a height of the thread fastening positions of the first screws ( 64 , 66 ) is higher than a height of the thread fastening positions of the second screws ( 68 , 70 ).
- the thread fastening positions of the first screws 64 and 66 and the thread fastening positions of the second screws 68 and 70 have different heights. Accordingly, the strength of the frame structure can be further greater than a case in which the first screws and the second screws have a same height.
- the registration roller 12 is provided nearer to the thread fastening positions of the first screws 64 and 66 than the positions of the second screws 68 and 70 . Since the strength is stronger near the thread fastening positions of the first screws 64 and 66 than near the thread fastening positions of the second screws 68 and 70 , it is possible to suppress influence of the load of the frame due to distortion on the rotational motion of the registration roller 12 .
- the other end of the roller shaft 12 B for the registration roller 12 receives a driving force from the drive motor M outside the thread fastening position of the second screw 68 in the first exemplary embodiment.
- the other end of the roller shaft 12 B is borne at the same position as the thread fastening position of the second screw 68 .
- the other end of the roller shaft 12 B can be borne at a position near the gear 84 receiving the driving force form the drive motor M, so that the registration roller 12 can be rotated stably.
- the lower surfaces of the convex portions 56 and 58 function as a guide for inserting or extracting the sheet feed tray 6 , as shown in FIG. 5 . Accordingly, the sheet feed tray 6 can be taken in or out smoothly without providing a special guide.
- the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiment as described above.
- the intermediate frame is exemplified as the paper feed frame 54 in the above exemplary embodiment, it may be the scanner unit 16 or the fixing unit 18 as far as it can be sandwiched between a pair of side frames.
- the conveying roller is exemplified as the registration roller 12 in the above exemplary embodiment, it may be other rollers for conveying the paper 3 .
- each convex portion is provided on each of the side frames in the above exemplary embodiment, the convex portion may be provided on one side frame. Also, each convex portion may have a different protruding length in the case where the convex portion is provided on each of the side frames.
- the overall strength of the frame comprising a pair of side frames and the intermediate frame can be increased.
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- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Electrophotography Configuration And Component (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims (10)
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP2007-157263 | 2007-06-14 | ||
JP2007157263A JP4658999B2 (en) | 2007-06-14 | 2007-06-14 | Image forming apparatus |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20080309206A1 US20080309206A1 (en) | 2008-12-18 |
US8041252B2 true US8041252B2 (en) | 2011-10-18 |
Family
ID=40131625
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US12/138,790 Expired - Fee Related US8041252B2 (en) | 2007-06-14 | 2008-06-13 | Image forming apparatus |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US8041252B2 (en) |
JP (1) | JP4658999B2 (en) |
Families Citing this family (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP5347573B2 (en) * | 2009-03-03 | 2013-11-20 | 株式会社リコー | Frame structure for color image forming apparatus and color image forming apparatus |
JP5293965B2 (en) * | 2009-09-01 | 2013-09-18 | 株式会社リコー | Structure for image forming apparatus and image forming apparatus |
JP5494536B2 (en) | 2010-06-22 | 2014-05-14 | ブラザー工業株式会社 | Image forming apparatus and transport device for image forming apparatus |
JP5949269B2 (en) * | 2012-07-24 | 2016-07-06 | ブラザー工業株式会社 | Image forming apparatus |
Citations (13)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JPH04328585A (en) | 1991-04-26 | 1992-11-17 | Canon Inc | Image forming device |
JPH07279923A (en) | 1994-04-06 | 1995-10-27 | Ricoh Co Ltd | External facing plate attaching device |
US5521681A (en) * | 1994-04-15 | 1996-05-28 | Mita Industrial Co., Ltd. | Image forming apparatus |
US5570159A (en) * | 1994-04-18 | 1996-10-29 | Canon Kabushiki Kaisha | Method for assembling structural frame members of an image forming apparatus |
JPH09120187A (en) | 1995-10-24 | 1997-05-06 | Ricoh Co Ltd | Image forming device |
JPH10209596A (en) | 1997-01-17 | 1998-08-07 | Fujitsu Ltd | Electronic device |
JP2001228659A (en) | 2000-02-14 | 2001-08-24 | Ricoh Co Ltd | Image recorder |
JP2001242669A (en) | 2000-02-28 | 2001-09-07 | Ricoh Co Ltd | Frame construction for image forming device |
JP2002169353A (en) | 2000-12-05 | 2002-06-14 | Canon Inc | Image forming device |
JP2002214900A (en) | 2001-01-16 | 2002-07-31 | Ricoh Co Ltd | Assembly method for image forming device provided with rotary developing device |
JP2004155041A (en) | 2002-11-06 | 2004-06-03 | Funai Electric Co Ltd | Laser printer and image formation device |
US20060093398A1 (en) | 2004-10-28 | 2006-05-04 | Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha | Image-forming device |
US7051941B2 (en) * | 2003-03-03 | 2006-05-30 | Nisca Corporation | Image reading unit and image reading apparatus |
-
2007
- 2007-06-14 JP JP2007157263A patent/JP4658999B2/en active Active
-
2008
- 2008-06-13 US US12/138,790 patent/US8041252B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Patent Citations (15)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JPH04328585A (en) | 1991-04-26 | 1992-11-17 | Canon Inc | Image forming device |
JPH07279923A (en) | 1994-04-06 | 1995-10-27 | Ricoh Co Ltd | External facing plate attaching device |
US5521681A (en) * | 1994-04-15 | 1996-05-28 | Mita Industrial Co., Ltd. | Image forming apparatus |
US5570159A (en) * | 1994-04-18 | 1996-10-29 | Canon Kabushiki Kaisha | Method for assembling structural frame members of an image forming apparatus |
JPH09120187A (en) | 1995-10-24 | 1997-05-06 | Ricoh Co Ltd | Image forming device |
JPH10209596A (en) | 1997-01-17 | 1998-08-07 | Fujitsu Ltd | Electronic device |
JP2001228659A (en) | 2000-02-14 | 2001-08-24 | Ricoh Co Ltd | Image recorder |
JP2001242669A (en) | 2000-02-28 | 2001-09-07 | Ricoh Co Ltd | Frame construction for image forming device |
JP2002169353A (en) | 2000-12-05 | 2002-06-14 | Canon Inc | Image forming device |
JP2002214900A (en) | 2001-01-16 | 2002-07-31 | Ricoh Co Ltd | Assembly method for image forming device provided with rotary developing device |
JP2004155041A (en) | 2002-11-06 | 2004-06-03 | Funai Electric Co Ltd | Laser printer and image formation device |
US7051941B2 (en) * | 2003-03-03 | 2006-05-30 | Nisca Corporation | Image reading unit and image reading apparatus |
US20060093398A1 (en) | 2004-10-28 | 2006-05-04 | Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha | Image-forming device |
JP2006154746A (en) | 2004-10-28 | 2006-06-15 | Brother Ind Ltd | Image forming apparatus |
US7415224B2 (en) | 2004-10-28 | 2008-08-19 | Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha | Image-forming device |
Non-Patent Citations (2)
Title |
---|
JP Office Action dtd Apr. 28, 2009, JP Appln. 2007-157263, partial English Translation. |
Notification of Reasons for Refusal drafted Nov. 5, 2010 in Japanese Application No. 2007-157263 and English translation thereof. |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
JP4658999B2 (en) | 2011-03-23 |
US20080309206A1 (en) | 2008-12-18 |
JP2008309992A (en) | 2008-12-25 |
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